AGE: 52. Some days I feel younger than that...and other days, I feel every year - if not more - of it.
BIRTHPLACE: Minneapolis - Abbott Northwestern Hospital (which is still around).
CURRENT OUTFIT: I'm wearing a sweatshirt that I've had for a good ten years, pajama pants, and fuzzy socks. It's still early in the morning before I have to go anywhere.
DRINKS: I'm drinking mostly water these days as well as hot chocolate in the morning and evening to get in some calcium to keep my bones strong. Every once in a while a Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi slips in when I'm tired and need to stay awake or drive.
EASIEST JOB: When I look back on my life, the easiest job I had was working at Hardees. I was a hostess so I made sure people's coffee was filled, I would ask people how their meal was and if they needed me to get them anything else, and kept the dining area looking nice. I would collect trays and bring them back to the kitchen to be washed.
GRATEFUL FOR: Having a loving family; being raised by compassionate and encouraging parents who had my best interest at heart; having my brother and sister living within 40 minutes of my home; and a home.
HOME DECOR STYLE: I had to look up online the different home décor styles. Based on our home (an 1890 farm home) and the furnishings, I'd have to say the home décor style is mostly Country. That being said, it's also a kind of eclectic home - with some modern pieces and artwork; Scandinavian style with white walls and light coming in all the windows (we have windows in each room with the exception of one room that is part of a two-room bedroom).
IN LOVE WITH: My family and pets. Life is full and rich with each of them in it. I couldn't imagine it otherwise.
JEALOUS OF: Jealousy isn't something that I feel. I think it's more along the line of "I wish" or "It sure would be nice..." - rather than the more negative feeling of jealousy. So, every once in a while I think it would be nice to be like people who have debt-free lives and have their retirement plans fully-funded; and don't have a care in the world.
KINDEST PERSON: My sister. She truly wants the best for others and is compassionate.
LATEST OBSESSION: Taking classes at the arts center. I'm enjoying taking a variety of classes in the visual arts - pottery, Saori weaving, and hand-sewing leather.
The arts center has graciously given our family scholarships (three per person per quarter) to take classes due to financial hardship during the past year. The only thing we have had to pay for is the material fee. The classes have been a bright spot in a very difficult year.
MIDDLE NAME: Marie. That's the name my parents gave me. Elizabeth is my other middle name. That's my confirmation name. It's not legally part of my name, but it is part of my identity.
NEXT PROJECT: I am working on a coil bowl in my pottery class. I have the general design done, but need to fill in the spaces with little balls of clay so that it is a solid bowl. The outside will be smooth because it has a slab of clay as the base/exterior.
I also have quite a few sewing and quilting projects that I have been wanting to do since August.
The other projects I want to work on relate to Sophia's graduation gifts.
As I write this, I'm realizing that creating a schedule or creative goals may be necessary to stay on track with all the projects.
OLDEST LIVING RELATIVE: Within my family (the family I grew up in), I am the oldest living person. If I look at my extended family (with cousins), it is one of my cousins who are in their 70s. I don't think any of them are in their 80s yet.
PROFESSION: Homeschool Educator to my daughters who are a senior and sophomore in high school. Sophia, the senior, also is doing PSEO courses, so I'm assisting at the college level as well by proofing her papers. It has been a fascinating journey - from infancy to college-level work since 2001.
QUIET PLACE: My bedroom. Well, actually, any place in our home and farm is quiet. It is very peaceful here. Even the dogs like to rest here...like Aspen who burrows under the covers and uses the pillows like a human being.
READY FOR: Nothing. It seems like I have a lot of projects and things that need to get done, but never enough time to do them.
SWEET TOOTH CRAVING: I have been wanting to make an apple pie like my mom used to make. She used a combination of Cortland and Harralson apples which would get soft. My sister recently told me the types of apples my mom used. I never knew that. The apples in my apple pie never would get completely soft and I would be so disappointed because it wasn't like my mom's apple pies. Now I'm on a mission to find Harralson apples.
TIME YOU WAKE UP: This morning I woke up at 6:30 a.m. The days are getting shorter, so it's darker in the morning. I used to wake up around 4:00 a.m. and would start doing work. I'm not as energetic these days.
USEFUL ITEM: Toothbrush. I don't know why that was the first thing to come to mind....but it is useful with getting your teeth clean.
VACATION SPOT: My go-to spot for many years - probably more than a decade - was Grand Marais. We have gone hiking, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, ziplining, and boating along the Gunflint Trail.
I haven't been there with my daughters now for many years. I miss it.
My dream domestic vacation is to do a driving trip around the United States - go to every one of the continental states. I've already been to Alaska and Hawaii.
WORST HABIT: Eating food with sugar and flour in them. I know that's not good for me.
X-RAYS: I've had many x-rays. The most interesting x-ray I've had was a live one for the second toe on my left foot. I was able to watch the podiatrist put a needle into my toe and inject a dye which showed there was a leak in the joint capsule. Although I did have a local anesthesia, it was a bit uncomfortable.
I had to have surgery and have a couple of screws in one of the bones in my second toe now.
YEAR YOU WERE BORN: 1966.
ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer...the crab.
